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The Nature and Health Program, a member group of EarthLab at the University of Washington, is seeking a Research Assistant to support a team of researchers at UW and land management agencies who develop and apply data-driven, mixed methods approaches for studying outdoor recreation. The position is hourly and reports to Spencer Wood, Senior Research Scientist. The position is based in Seattle, but field work will take place remotely on public lands.

Nature and Health is an initiative within EarthLab at the University of Washington (UW) that seeks to understand the benefits of nature contact to human health and well-being. A group of scientists, practitioners, and community members, we promote research, programs, and policies that align with our mission and vision. Through establishing partnerships with both the local Seattle community and across the US, we offer our expertise, guidance, and support to grow the current body of knowledge around this topic and contribute to the design of healthcare, educational, and community settings that benefit all people. We use funds to build pilot projects, establish networks and collaborations, and pursue project specific funding.

EarthLab is a visionary institute that pushes boundaries to address our most pressing environmental challenges, with a focus on climate and its intersection with social justice. EarthLab does this by connecting faculty, students and researchers at the University of Washington (UW) to community collaborators in businesses, non-profits, public agencies, Tribal nations and others to co-produce actionable research that generates solutions and strategies for local and global impact. EarthLab’s vision, an equitable, just and sustainable world where people and planet thrive, supports one of the University’s biggest goals. As a Carnegie- classified Community Engagement University, the UW aspires to be the #1 university in the world as measured by impact. EarthLab is inspired by and committed to this challenge.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

EarthLab acknowledges the systemic racism that exists in the environmental sector and within environmentalism. We believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions. We are seeking candidates who are committed to creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment where all voices are considered and valued.

Research Assistant

Nature and Health is seeking a Research Assistant interested in outdoor recreation on public lands. The Research Assistant will join a team of researchers at UW and land management agencies who develop and apply data-driven approaches for studying outdoor recreation with mixed methods that integrate community science, social media, in-person surveys, and automated counters. The team does applied research that focuses on outdoor recreation and tourism in collaboration with land managers. Successful candidates will be organized, detail-oriented, friendly, and self-directed individuals who are passionate about working on projects for social good.

The duties of the position are a mix of data collection at field sites, and computer-based data management and analyses. Field research focuses on collecting information about visitor use of National Forests and other public lands in the Western US. This involves surveying and counting visitors at recreation sites and maintaining automated trail and traffic counters. Data management involves creating and maintaining tabular and GIS datasets. Tasks are project-specific, but often include using QGIS to create or maintain spatial data, and spreadsheets for doing data entry and quality control. All tasks require a keen eye for detail and an interest in understanding underlying data structures and data pipelines. Some simple data analyses and visualization tasks may also be required. The Research Assistant will be responsible for learning and performing tasks with high accuracy and expressing good judgment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

•Entering and maintaining quality of interconnected tabular and GIS datasets
•Collecting data using proper protocols and with high accuracy
•Surveying and counting public land visitors
•Documenting trail conditions
•Deploying and maintaining automated trail and traffic counters
•Driving to/from field sites and navigating on unpaved roads

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

•Bachelor’s degree in in natural or social sciences, such as environmental science, ecology, or economics
•Three months to one-year relevant experience

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

•Excellent communication and organizational skills
•Detail-oriented and accurate
•Experience with GIS principles and software
•Experience working with tabular data in a spreadsheet
•Friendly and willing to approach visitors at trailheads and other recreation sites
•Willing to work outdoors, on weekends, sometimes after regular business hours in all weather conditions
•Valid driver’s license

DESIRED:

•Coursework in natural or social sciences, such as environmental science, ecology, or economics
•Experience writing data processing scripts with R or Python
•Experience conducting surveys and following detailed protocols
•Experience reading and navigating with maps, driving in winter weather conditions and on unpaved roads

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The position will be between 20-40 hours per week, depending on season and project goals. Most field data collection occurs from May-October, while computer-based tasks are accomplished year-round. The position is based in Seattle and includes benefits. Field work will take place remotely on public lands.

Additional Application Instructions:

At EarthLab, we focus on equity and justice in all that we do. In your cover letter, please include your experience, lived or professional, in the area of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Application Process:

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.